Chapter 1 Ruin Jamiel Vaughn

Zhavira

I stood at one corner of the rink, fidgeting with my phone. My fingers had long gone stiff and frozen after five hours of waiting for Jamiel. 

My boyfriend, the popular ace of Preston Academy’s Golden Reign Hockey team, promised that he would finally teach me how to skate once winter break came.

I’ve been anticipating this moment for months, which led to sleepless nights I couldn’t count. But it didn’t matter because I was far too excited to care.

But now that winter break is finally here, Jamiel has been canceling our dates. His father was preparing him for the time he’ll finally take over their company.

I chose to be the understanding girlfriend. Two years, and I knew how he prioritized their family’s empire the most. And as its future heir, he has to give it his all, even at the expense of our time.

I would be lying if I said that didn’t hurt me. But I knew I'd never win against his lifelong goal of taking over his family's company.

My phone beeped, pulling me from my thoughts. My heart hammered in my chest with enthusiasm.

Jamiel

We’re over.

I frowned. My heart still raced, but for a different reason now. I let out a long breath, and it turned into mist.

Me

What do you mean?

The lump in my throat made it harder to breathe. My frozen fingers trembled, doubling the time it took for me to type.

One minute. People had started to leave the rink. Most of the kids ran to their parents, and others ran to their lovers.

Two minutes. I stood alone. Shivering from the cold and the dread erupting within me.

Frustration and impatience took over my rationality, and I dialed Jamiel’s number.

It took three rings before a static sound came.

“Jamiel—”

"Hi, you've reached the voicemail of Jamiel..."

I ended the call before the message could finish and redialed.

The static noise came once again. The call connected. And how I wish it didn’t.

On the other end of the line was a woman’s lustful moans. The loud slapping of skin echoed in the background before it was drowned by the woman’s curling voice.

“Jamiel! Harder!”

My phone slipped from my hands and hit the ice with a thud resonating with the sound of something breaking inside me.

Warm liquid pooled at the corners of my eyes.

I was so confused that I could only stare at the empty rink. The sky had turned into the bright hues of orange and red. Silence reigned over the once bustling place.

A tear rolled down my cheek and instantly solidified. I wished I could do the same to my heart. Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much.

“Zhavira?” A man’s voice, low and even, that wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to me. “What are you doing here?”

Snow crunched under his weight until he stopped in front of me. 

“Zhavira?” He called and inched closer.

I tilted my head back. An older man who shared a slight semblance with Jamiel.

“Hello, Mr. Vaughn.” I smiled.

The sharp lines of his face contorted. His blue, deep-set eyes focused on my face. He offered his handkerchief to me, and only then did I notice the tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Thank you, but I can’t possibly use your hankie to wipe my snot,” I said and sniffed.

His expression remained stoic even after my joke. Instead, he reached out to my face and dried my tears. Each dab was gentle, as if he was afraid he'd hurt me.

“Do you mind if I ask what happened?”

His low voice soothing my aching heart. I needed this more than I believed.

I shook my head. I wasn’t about to tattle to my boyfriend’s uncle that I'd caught him cheating.

“Is it Jamiel?”

I shook my head so fast that I was sure he knew I was lying.

“Let’s get you inside first. You’re freezing.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“To my cabin.” He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Why should I?”

“I’m not giving you a choice, Zhavira. You will come with me.” His voice was firm and final.

We both trekked the snow, and I found it unfair how he stayed a few steps ahead of me, breaths stable, and still as straight as a pole. Meanwhile I was heaving, clutching my chest, and stopped every other step.

“Wait!” I shouted.

He turned around, eyebrow twitching with amusement.

“I’m not a giant like you. I can’t take a step and cover two meters of distance like a damned slenderman!” I complained.

I could only imagine my hair had made questionable decisions from fixing my scarf a hundred times after it kept slipping.

He chuckled and traced his steps back to me.

“You’ve given me no choice here.” He said and swept me off my feet.

“What are you doing?!” I shrieked and grabbed his coat.

I held onto his neck, looking down on the snow beside his feet, and realized how tall he really was.

“I never told you to pick me up!”

“We’ll be here till morning if I let you waddle with your tiny legs.” He said and started walking.

“Excuse me?!”

He laughed and nodded his head in front of us. I glared at him and followed his line of sight. A wooden cabin appeared from what looked like an endless white earlier.

“See? Told you so.” He said. The smirk on his face made him look so smug. I wished I could wipe it off his face.

I averted my gaze from his and loosened my hold. I scoffed inside my mind. 

How ironic could this situation be? Jamiel was cheating on me, fucking another girl as he answered my phone call. And now I was warm and comfortable in the arms of the man Jamiel had envied since childhood. 

“What got you so lost in your thoughts?” He asked and gently kicked the cabin’s door open.

A tiger’s pelt lay in the center of the cabin. The fireplace was already lit, as if someone knew that we would be here at this moment. There was one bed, a couch, a table, and chairs.

“You’re quite a minimalistic person,” I commented after scanning the place.

“There’s no one to decorate it. So, I just left it be.”

“Can’t you do it?”

He took his sweet time before he answered, throwing more logs to strengthen the fire. Once his eyes met mine, I saw an emotion I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Do it for me.”

My throat dried. I wasn't tempted by his offer, but by the revenge slowly piecing itself together in my mind. 

Maybe as much as Jamiel had hurt me in that phone call, I wanted to destroy him too. And I happen to have the best accomplice standing in front of me.

“It will cost you.”

He let out a low laugh. He took his coat off and threw it on the sofa, revealing the tight muscle-fit he wore underneath. “Try me.”

“Take over the Vaughn Dynasty. Ruin your nephew for me.”